Electric receptacle cover with safety shields



D. A. KNEIP June 13, 1961 ELECTRIC RECEPTACLE COVER WITH SAFETY SHIELDS Filed Aug. 24. 1955 Fig. 4

INVENTOR. a062 M 3% De/wn A. Kneip Fig.6

Fig. 5

United States Patent 2,988,242 ELECTRIC RECEPTACLE COVER WITH SAFETY SHIELDS Delvin A. Kneip, 516 E. Antonio, Uvalde, Tex. Filed Aug. 24, 1955, Ser. No. 530,273 3 Claims. (Cl. 220-243) This invention relates to an improved cover which is designed to take the place of the usual plate-like cover currently employed in conjunction with electric receptacles such as are used to accommodate pronged plugs on applicance cords and conductors. The object of the invention is to substitute for the single ply cover plate one which is in the form of a hollow case and which is characterized by front and back walls having registering openings to accommodate the receptacles, safety shields being operatively mounted in the case to render the contacts in the receptacles tamper-proof and to thus ward off the danger of shock and injury to small children, especially those who are prone to explore and tamper with floor and wall-type receptacles.

As is generally well-known, the provision of safety shields for the same purpose is something which has already been taken care of in one way or another by others working in this line of endeavor. Therefore, it is another object of the invention to structurally, functionally and otherwise improve upon similarly constructed and performing shield-equipped cover plates and, in doing so, to provide a construction which will meet the ordinary manufacturing requirements of manufacturers, demonstrating and similar purposes of retailers, and the safety and other needs of users.

In carrying out the invention there is provided a hollow sheath-like case which is attachable to a fixed wall or the like, said case embodying aligned openings with which the usual receptacles are registered and also are rendered accessible for use, and spring biased window-like safety shield means slidable in said case and normally closing the receptacle exposing openings in the front part of said case.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying sheet of drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of the improved electric receptacle cover with safety shields;

FIGURES 2 and 3 are sections on the lines 2-2 and 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a section on the horizontal line 4-4 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is an inside or back view of the front wall or cover;

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of the base or back wall; and

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of one of the sliding windows or shields.

Referring now to the drawings the over-all case is of any suitable decorative material which lends itself to use in the category stated. The base or back wall section is denoted by the numeral 8 in FIGURE 6 and it provides a rectangular plate 10 having marginal outstanding spaced parallel linearly straight flanges 12 providing tracks. These flanges or ribs are co-extensive in length with the plate 10. Similar straight but shorter flanges 14 are arranged inwardly of the intermediate portions of the flanges 12 and here again they, the two flanges 14, provide tracks for the sliding glass or transparent panels. These are flat and rectangular and provide the windowlike shields and they are denoted by the numerals 16. They are sufl'icient in size, to cover the holes 18 which latter serve to accommodate the receptacles (not shown). The edges 20 (FIG. 7) are in sliding contact with the tracks or flanges 14 as shown in FIGURE 6. The shields also have outstanding lugs 22 which serve as abutments and engage the adjacent ends of the flanges 14 to limit sliding movement in one direction. The lugs also have sliding contact with the confining tracks or flanges 1212. The respective lugs are provided with holes 24 to accommodate hooks 26 on the cooperating ends of coil springs 28.

With further reference to FIGURE 6 it will be seen that the flanges 14 and their respective adjacent flanges 12, the intermediate portions of the latter, provide channel-like pockets in which the coil springs are arranged. The springs are light weight and serve to keep the windows normally closed, that is in the position shown for example in FIGURES 2 and 6. The windows or shields may be slid intentionally to open positions. To accomplish this the inner adjacent edges are provided with suitable handles or finger-grips 30. Formed either integrally with or separate from the base section 8 there is an openwork frame section 32 which is best seen in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4 and which backs up and reinforces the relatively thin wall 10 of said base section. There is a central screw 34 which passes through the central portion of the sections 8 and 32 and serves to fasten the same to a wall or bracket or fixture means in the wall carrying the usual dual prong-accommodating receptacles (not shown). Also, as seen in FIGURE 6, there are risers or blocks 36 and these serve to accommodate screws or equivalent fastenings 38 which function to assemble and secure the pan-like cover section 40 in place. This has a plate portion 42 with a sight or opening 44 and clearance notches 46 at its ends which notches serve to accommodate the finger-grips or knobs 30 when the windows are fully opened in a generally obvious manner but not detailed. This cover section has a marginal rim or flange 48 which as perhaps best shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4 encompasses the marginal portions of the base section 8 and frame section 32. In fact, with the several sections thus screwed together the aforementioned hollow case or sheath is provided. This encases the sliding windows in an obvious manner. The opening means 44 registers with suitable openings 18 in the base section. This means 44 also renders the knobs or finger-grips accessible so that it is possible to slide one window up against the spring tension or the other window down. That is to say, when one desires to insert the prongs in the plug (not shown) into a receptacle, say the top receptacle, the top window is slid up and the plug is inserted and the window stays put, being thus retained by the plug. As soon as the plug is withdrawn the top spring biased window slides back to closed position in an obvious manner. The same is true of the lower window. Thus the invention comprises a hollow case, with sliding panel-like glass windows having handles and track means and suitable registering openings all providing a satisfactory cover which is used in lieu of the ordinary simple plate-like cover. In other words, the sections 8 and 32 are added to this cover with the springs and tracks and windows and thus a novel composite cover unit is had.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A safety cover for attachment to and cooperationwith a flush-type electric wall receptacle comprising a substantially rectangular flat base section of a size to properly cooperate with the intended components of said wall receptacle, said base section provided along its lengthwise marginal edges with individual spaced parallel flanges projecting perpendicularly from one face of said base section, also provided on said one face with a pair of similarly projecting perpendicularly disposed flanges shorter than said first-named flanges and spaced from each other in parallelism and also spaced in parallelism from cooperating median portions of their respective firstnamed flanges and defining coil spring accommodating spaces, a pair of generally rectangular flat shutter-like windows superimposed upon one face and having slidable contact therewith and normally confined for sliding movement between the aforementioned shorter flanges, corner portions of said windows having outstanding lugs projecting beyond the shorter flanges and having sliding contact with cooperating inner surface portions of said first named flanges, said lugs also serving as abutments and normally engaging the ends of the shorter flanges which are adjacent to said lugs, a coil spring located in each of the aforementioned spaces, the outer ends of said coil springs being attached to their respective lugs, said coil springs being under tension and thus serving to normally maintain the windows in closed positions between the shorter flanges, that portion of the base section directly associated with said windows having individual openings therein, one opening for each window, said openings being adapted to register, when in use, with the receptacles in the aforementioned electric wall recptacle, and a cover section having marginal flanges extending perpendicularly therefrom and forming a rim, said rim encompassing the marginal edges of said base section and the two sections, when assembled, providing a sheath-like case encasing the windows, flanges and coil springs, and the central portion of the said cover section having a sight opening therein registeringcooperatively with said windows.

2. A safety cover attachment for a flush-type electric wall receptacle, comprising a hollow case of a size and shape to properly cooperate with and protectively safeguard children from fingering or otherwise tampering with appliance cord receptacle means, said case embodying a fiat-faced base section provided along its respective lengthwise marginal edges with individual spaced parallel flanges projecting perpendicularly from one face of the base section, said base section being further provided on said one face with a pair of spaced parallel flanges shorter than said first named flanges joined with a central portion of said one face and paralleling median portions of the first-named flanges, that portion of the base section between the respective short flanges having at least one hole therein which, in use, is adapted to aline itself with the cooperating part of the aforementioned electric wall receptacle so that a pronged plug on an appliance cord may be passed through the hole with the prongs engaged with the intended receptacle, a flat shutter-like window superimposed upon and slidably mounted upon said one face and confined for operation between the short flanges and having corner abutments engageable with adjacent cooperating ends of the short flanges, spring means cooperable with said abutments and arranged in cooperative association with said base section to normally maintain the window in a position covering said opening, and a cover section opposed to a base section and having a marginal rim embracing the marginal portions of said base section, and having a central opening therein registerable with said window and also the first-named opening with which said window is cooperable.

3. A cover plate for an electrical double outlet recessed in a flat surface and having two sockets for two plug connectors, comprising a face panel having an open portion therein to lie over each outlet, rearwardly extending peripheral flanges on said face panel to lie on said flat surface whereby to provide space between the face panel and the plane of said surface, said face panel and the edges of said flanges lying in parallel planes defining the facial boundaries of the cover plate, separate movable imperforate cover means within said space for each outlet normally biased to close said open portion, each cover means being movable away from the other in uncovering a socket at an open portion, tensionspring means connected to both cover means and biased normally to hold both cover means in positions to cover sockets at the open portions, each cover means being movable independently of the other along the inside of said face panel to open its respective open portion and expose a socket, whereby a plug connector may make normal contact with said socket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 514,144 Cree Feb. 6, 1894 541,927 Goldman July 2, 1895 1,186,642 Alamy June 13, 1916 1,715,222 Chesler May 28, 1929 2,477,803 Huber Aug. 2, 1949 2,641,627 Lewis June 9, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 59,301 Norway May 2, 1938 

